The suspect is accused of trying to destroy more than 500 doses.
The Wisconsin pharmacist accused of trying to destroy more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been charged with a misdemeanor as the investigation continues, authorities said.
Prosecutors also said Tuesday at a court hearing in Ozaukee County that Stephen Brandenburg’s alleged efforts, including removing 57 bottles of Moderna vaccine from the cold store on or around December 24, failed to makes them unusable.
Brandenburg, 46, confessed to the authorities that he “intentionally removed” the vaccine vials on two separate occasions “in order to allow the vaccine to be outside the temperature range so that it would not be effective”. according to the criminal complaint.
The Moderna vaccine must be refrigerated at temperatures between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit or risk losing potency, according to the company.
According to police, Brandenburg was “an admitted conspiracy theorist.” The criminal complaint claims that he tried to damage the vaccines “because everything he investigated led him to believe that the vaccine is not safe for humans and changed their DNA”.
There is absolutely no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines affect a person’s DNA. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use mRNA technology that introduces a small part of the virus’s genetic code to teach the body how to fight the real virus without changing a person’s DNA in any way, according to Gavi, Vaccine Alliance.
Lawyer Brandenburg made an innocent plea for his client’s misdemeanor charge of attempted criminal damage to property. The lawyer did not immediately return the requests for comments from ABC News.
If convicted, Brandenburg, who was released on bail on January 4, could face up to nine months in prison and be fined up to $ 10,000. His next trial is March 18.
The severity of any punishment for Brandenburg could depend on how many doses of vaccine were actually used.
Fifty-seven of the compromised doses were given until they were thought to be ineffective, Aurora Health Care Medical Group President Dr. Jeff Bahr said at a news conference last month. The recipients of these doses have been announced.
After initial reports that the remaining vials with the potentially destroyed vaccine were destroyed, prosecutors clarified that those vials were seized for further testing.
Ozaukee County Attorney Adam Gerol had to postpone the Brandenburg indictment after lab experts said they needed more time. Gerol said on Tuesday that Moderna was still conducting tests, but “the best proof at the moment is that the vaccine remains viable.”
“If something happens, there is a possibility that the accusations will change,” Gerol said during the hearing. “I hope to know something in the next few weeks.”
Each of the 57 vials, which contain 10 doses of vaccine, is valued at $ 11,000, police estimate.
The Wisconsin Pharmacy Council voted last week to suspend Brandenburg’s license pending the outcome of his criminal case and the council’s disciplinary proceedings. He became a licensed pharmacist in 1997.
Brandenburg handed over four firearms to law enforcement officials and was ordered not to work in any pharmacist as part of his release agreement. He was also ordered not to leave the state without court approval.